Automatic sandwich grill

ABSTRACT

An automatic sandwich grill in which upper and lower heated platens engage one or more sandwiches or bread slices with regulated continuous pressure, and a timer acts at the end of a variable cooking time to separate the platens and steeply tilt the lower platen to discharge the cooked product. The upper platen is yieldingly counterbalanced so as to press the sandwich with a regulated continuous pressure throughout the toasting. The lower platen is tiltable. A timer acts at the end of a cooking period to release a latch or actuate other mechanism to cause the platens to automatically separate and the lower platen to tilt to about 45* to discharge the toasted sandwich by gravity.

[ Dec. 4, 1973 AUTOMATIC SANDWICH GRILL [76] Inventor: Fred W. Morley,4519 Jamestown Ct., Indianapolis, Ind. 46226 [22] Filed: Feb. 14, 1972[21] Appl. No.: 225,906

[52] US. Cl. 99/335, 99/373 [51] Int. Cl. A47j 37/06 [58] Field ofSearch 99/335, 323.9, 329 RT,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,317,225 4/1943 Schara l99/373 X Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby Assistant ExaminerArthur 0.Henderson AttorneyThomas P. Jenkins et al.

[57] ABSTRACT Anautomatic sandwich grill in which upper and lower heatedplatens engage one or more sandwiches 0r bread slices with regulatedcontinuous pressure, and a timer acts at the end of a variable cookingtime to separate the platens steeply tilt the lower platen to dischargethe cooked product. The upper platen is yieldingly counterbalanced so asto press the sandwich with a regulated continuous pressure throughoutthe toasting. The lower platen is tiltable. A timer acts at the end of acooking period to release a latch or actuate other mechanism to causethe platens to automatically separate and the lower platen to tilt toabout 45 to discharge the toasted sandwich by gravity.

15 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEU DH. 4 I975 sum u or 4 AUTOMATICSANDWICH GRILL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to asandwich toaster or grill for simultaneously grilling both sides of asandwich, or slices of bread. In such a grilling process, the oppositefaces of the sandwich should be held in continuous contact with heatedgrill platens with substantially uniform and continuous pressure, andthe pressure should be capable of regulation to suit differentkinds andnumbers of sandwiches and differentbread textures. The grilling platenscan be and desirably areheated to uniform temperatures. With suchuniform pressure and temperature, the cooking canbe controlledbyautomatic timing of the cooking cycle,- and the sandwich should beremoved from contact with both. grills promptly when the desireddoneness is reached.

Sandwich grills previously available do not fully satisfy theserequirements. Commercial sandwich grills commonly use heavy platensmaintained at uniform temperature and the upper platen is so mountedthat it stays fixed in whatever position the operatorputs it. This makesthe initial pressure dependent in each case on the touch of theoperator, and the pressure will vary from sandwich to sandwich withoutregulation. More.- over, the fixed-position of theupper platen will notcontinuously maintain the desirable, pressure and ,contact with thesandwich as the sandwich shrinksorsoftens during the cooking cycle.Domestic type equipment commonly uses a relatively light'upper platenwhich.

grilled. In present commercial and domestic sandwich grills, there is noprovision for automatic timing of the.

cooking cycle, or for automatic removal of-thesand: wich from theplatens when cooking is completed.

The present invention provides a simple and effective apparatusfor'grilling one or more sandwiches or bread slices simultaneously onboth sides, with uniformly heated platens held in contact with thesandwiches under uniform but regulated pressure, under the com trol ofan automatic timer which at the end of a predetermined cooking periodactuates the mechanism to cause the platens to separate and the lowerplaten to tilt to a steep slope so that the sandwich is discharged bygravity and removed from contact with both platens.

Apparatus in accordance with the inventionhas a lower grill platen whichis held in horizontal sandwichsupporting position throughout the cookingcycle, and an upper platen which is partially supported by adjustableyielding or counterbalance means so that a variable proportion of itsweight acts to press itdownward on the sandwich supported on the lowerplaten. A proportion of the weight of the upper platen thus exerts auniform pressure on the sandwich throughout the cooking cycle and suchpressure is adjustable by varying the proportion of the weight which istaken by the counterbalancing or yielding support; The platens areheated by thermostatically controlled heating elements which maintainthem at uniform predetermined temperature. The length of the cookingperiod is controlled by a timer which at the end of such period actuatesmechanism which causes the platens to separate and the lower platen totilt to an angle .of approximately In the preferred construction, thelower platen is pivotally mounted on an offset pivot axis and movablebetween a raised horizontal position and a lowered tilted position. Thelower platenis held in its raised po sition by latch mechanism which isreleased by the timer at the end of the cooking cycle to allow the lowerplaten to drop from its horizontal position to its lowered tiltedposition so as to discharge the sandwich. Preferably, the timer is abimetal element actuated by a heating coil which is energized when theplaten is lifted to latched position, and the latch mechanism isarranged to release the platen only after the bimetal has first gonethrough both a heating step and a cooling step, so that when a sandwichis discharged, the mechanism is immediately ready for reuse. For thispurpose, the platen is initially latched by a primary latch which v isreleased at the end of the bimetal heating step, and

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The. accompanying drawings illustratethe invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an automatic sandwich grill in accordancewith the invention, partially shown in-section;

FIG. 2 is a rear, elevation of the grill shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the grill of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the grill of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a rearview of a platen heating plate;

FIG. 6 is a section of such heating plate;

FIG. 7 is a wiring diagram;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of a modified sandwich toaster, withpartsshown in section; and

FIG. 9 is a partial section on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The automatic sandwich toastershown in FIGS. 1-6 comprises a housing 10 adapted to stand on a tableand having an upper vertical front wall 12 and a lower front wall 14sloping at an angle of about 45. The housing has closed end walls 16, atop wall 18 and a rear wall 20 which is perforated to ventilate theinterior. A lower platen 22 and an upper platen 24 are supported fromthe housing by means described below. Each consists of a cover or pan 26having a heating plate 28 mounted in its open side. As shown in FIGS. 5and 6, each heating plate 28.has a heating element. 30 cast in a rib onits back surface with terminals 32 projecting from its ends forconnection to an electric power circuit. The center of the plate carriesa mounting pad 34 to which a temperature control thermostat 36 ismounted. The

flange 29 at its rear. edge to serve as a fence to guide the location ofa sandwich on the plate.

The lower platen 22 has a front handle 42 and is mounted on a spacedpair of cranked pivot arms 44. Each arm is pivoted on a pin 46 fixed toa bracket on the inner face of the vertical front wall section 12 at apoint substantially coplanar with the top surface of the heating face ofthe lower platen. From that pivot point 46, the arm has a downwardsection 48, an angularly disposed section 50, and an arcuate section 52extending in an are about the pivot point 46. The arcuate section 52 maybe hollow to pass lead wires for the heater element of the lower platen.The arcuate-section 52 of each arm extends through an opening 53in theinclined front wall 14 of the housing. Inwardly of such opening,

the two arms 44 are interconnected by a cross bar 54 arranged to beengaged by the latches described below to support the lower platen 22 inits horizontal operative position as shown in full linesin FIG. 1. Whenthe latches are released, the lower platen then drops to the inclinedposition shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. A pair of shock absorbers 45in the wall 14 cushion the fall of the platen to lowered position.

The upper platen 24 hangs from an arm 56 which is pivoted at its rearend to a bracket 58 on the top wall 18 of the housing. The arm 56 isrolled at its edges or otherwise shaped to enclose lead wires for theheater element 30 in the upper platen, and desirably carries a handle57. Near its rear end, the arm 56 rests on a plunger 60 slidably mountedin a collar 62 and having a head at its lower end engaging a coil spring64 housed in a cup 66 fixed to the upper wall 18. The springpressedplunger 60 partially offsets the weight of the upper platen 24, but isinsufficient to fully support that platen 24 and the platen always tendsto fall to a lower position. As shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1, theplaten 24 lies substantially against the lower platen 22. Furtherdownward movement is limited by engagement of the arm 56 with thehousing. The effect of the spring plunger 60 is desirably adjustable,and adjustment is shown as provided by a rotary cam 68 mounted on thearm 56 and bearing against the plunger 60, which can be turned by a knob70 to vary the relationship between the arm and the plunger.

The latch mechanism for the lower platen, and the timing mechanism, isshown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The arm assembly is held in fully raisedposition by a primary latch 72 consisting of a lever 74 fixed to an arm76 which is pivoted by a pin 78 to a bracket 80 fixed to a plate 81mounted on the inner face of the sloping front wall 14 of the housing.As shown inFIG. 1, the primary latch 72 has a latch nose 73 in positionto engage the cross bar 54 between the pivot arms supporting the lowerplaten 22. Such cam nose 73 is located in a position to hold the lowerplaten 22 in fully elevated position.

When the cross bar 54 is released by the primary latch, it then moves ashort distance, such as one-eighth inch and engages a secondary latch82. This consists of a lever 84 fixed to an arm 86 which is pivoted by apin 88 to a bracket 89 carried by the plate 81. As shown in FIG. 1, thelatch lever 84 has a latch nose 83 adapted to lie behind the cross bar54, at a position slightly spaced from that bar 54 when that bar is heldin fully advanced position by the latch nose 73.

The primary and secondary latch levers 74 and 84 lie in spacedface-to-face relation with their supporting arms 76 and 86 extending inopposite directions, and with the two brackets and 89 on opposite sidesthereof. The two latch levers 74 and'84 have rearward projecting ends 75and by which they may be swung in opposite directions to retract theirlatch noses from the cross bar 54. The two latches are biased towardlatched positions, as by light springs (not shown), and are moved tounlatched position by a bimetal blade 92. The blade 92 is mounted at itsupper end from the top wall 18 of the housing, as by a bolt 93 at theend of an angularly disposed section 94. The blade 92 extends downwardand its lower end lies between the rearwardly projecting ends 75 and 85of the two latch levers 74 and 84. The arm normally engages the lever 84to hold the secondary latch retracted. The bimetal arm 92 carries aheating coil 96, and is so arranged that in response to heating, itbends away from the latch arm 84 toward and against the latch arm 74,that is, to the left in FIG. 2 from the full line position shown to thedotted line position shown.

The energization of the heating coil 96 on the bimetal arm 92 iscontrolled by a normally open switch 98 which is held closed by thecross bar 54 when the lower platen 22 is in its fully elevated position,i.e., when the cross bar 54 is held by the primary latch nose 73, but isallowed to open when the cross bar is released by the primary latch andmoves into engagement with the secondary latch nose 83. The coil is thusenergized when the platen 22 is raised to fully elevated position andlatched in place by the primary latch 72, and is deenergized when theprimary latch is released.

In the full line position of the bimetal arm 92 its lower end holds thesecondary latch lever 82 retracted from latching position. As the heatedbimetal arm 92 swings to the left in FIG. 2, it allows the secondarylatch arm 82 to move to latching position, and it then engages theprimary latch lever 72 and moves that latch lever to disengagedposition. This allows the bar 54 to move from the primary latch to thesecondary latch, and such movement opens the switch 98 and deenergizesthe heater coil 96 of the bimetal arm 92. The arm cools and swings backto the right. This allows the primary latch 72 to move toward latchedposition but it does not latch but strikes the edge of the bar 54. Thecooling bimetal arm 92then engages the secondary latch 82 to swing it tounlatched position, and this releases the cross bar 54 and allows thelower plateri to swing downward to its steeply tilted position shown indotted lines in FIG. 1.

The action of the bimetal arm 92 in controlling the primary andsecondary latches 72 and 82 will thus control the time between when theheating coil 96 is first energized by movement of the lower platen tocooking position and when the secondary latch 85 is withdrawn to allowthe platen 22 to drop from its cooking position I to its deliveryposition. The heating and cooling cycle of the bimetal 92 thus controlsthe cooking period.- The action of the bimetal arm 92 and the consequentlength of the cooking period is adjusted by varying the normal positionof the bimetal arm 92. For this purpose, the transverse leg 94 of thatbimetal arm 92 is engaged by a nut 100 on the threaded stem of a controlknob 102. Adjustment of the knob lengthens or shortens the time cycle.

As shown in the wiring diagram of FIG. 7, the power supply circuit tothe grill may be controlled by an on/- off switch 104. When that switchis on, the heating elements 30 of both platens 22 and 24 are energizedthrough their own individual thermostats 36,,which maintain the platensat predetermined temperature. The heating coil 96 for the bimetalelement 92.0f the timer mechanism is connected across the circuitthrough the switch 98 so that it is not energized except when the switch98 is closed by the cross bar 54 when that cross bar is latched in fullyadvanced position by the primary latch 72.

Operation is as follows. The grill may be stored with the platens inclosed position, that is, with the lower platen 22 latched in fullyraised position by the primary latch 72 and with the upper platen 24resting against the face of the lower platen, so that the two platensare closed and protected from contamination. When'the grill is connectedto a supply circuit and the switch 104 turned on, the heating coils 30of the two platens will be energized, as will the heater coil 96 of'thetimer mechanism. The timer will then cycle through a preheating cycleequal to a normal cooking cycle. It is assumed that the timer controlknob 102is appropriately set for the sandwich which is to be cooked. Ifthe heating elements of the platen are properly coordinated with thehead demand, the single preheating cycle will bring the platens tocooking temperature. At the. end of such preheating cycle, the lowerplaten will .drop'to its discharge position as shown in dotted lines inFIG. 1.

For use, the lower platen is raised to its latched position, the upperplaten is raised by its handle 57, a sand-v wich 106 is placed betweenthe platens, and the upper,

platen is lowered against the upper face of ithe sandwich. The knob 70may be rotated to adjust the pressure with which the upper platen rests.on that sandwich. The sandwich will then be grilled or cooked 'in'continuous contact with the platens 22 and 24 against its oppositefaces. The platens will be at a predetermined temperature and will beheld in contact with the sandwich with a continuous and uniformpressure. The amount of such pressure will depend on the adjustment ofthe knob 70 to control the relationship between the cam 68 and thespring plunger 60, and thereby vary the proportion of the weight of theupperplaten 24.which is carried by such spring plunger 60 and by thesandwich. In the grill shown, two sandwiches can be grilled at once.

The cooking time will be controlled by the timer. When the lower platen22 is raised to its fully raised position, it will be latched by the camnose 73 of the primary latch lever 42, and the bar 54 will close theswitch 98 to energize the heater coil 96. The bimetal arm-92t will thenswing to' the left in FIG. 1, will first allow the secondary latch lever82 to move to latching position, and will subsequently release theprimary latch lever 72. The lower platen will then drop slightly, butnot sufficiently to affect the cooking, and the cross arm 54 will moverearward enough to open the switch 98. The bimetal arm 92 will then cooland swing to the right in FIG. 1 until it re-engages the upper end 85 ofthe secondary latch 82 and moves that secondarylatch to releasedposition as shown in full lines in FIG. 1'. This will release the crossarm 54 from the latch mechanism, and will allow the lower platen to dropfrom its operative position shown in full lines in FIG. 1 to itsdelivery position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1'. This will-dispose.

the upper surface of the lower platen at an angle of approximately 45,which will cause the sandwich 106 to slide off that platen onto thetable supporting the grill.

The sandwich 106 ,is thus grilled at a predetermined temperature, undera predetermined continuous pressure, for a predetermined time, with thepressure and time being variable by adjustment of the knobs and 102.Upon completion of the cooking, the sandwich is automatically removedfrom the heated platens and discharged from the grill.

The action of the grill in delivering the sandwich or sandwiches fromthe inclined lower platen is found to be effective and reliable,especially when the platens are coated with a non-sticking compositionsuch as" Teflon. In addition, I have found it advantageous to place eachsandwich between layers or folds of aluminum foil 108, especially if thesandwich is buttered or has a drippy filling, which helps to keep theplatens clean and reduce clean-up time, and to minimize the possibilityof sticking which might interfere with the desired prompt delivery ofthe sandwich from the grill when it is done.

The modification shown in FIG. 8 comprises a chair shaped housing 110having at its front a generally upright upper wall 112, a horizontalwall 113 and a lower sloping wall 114. It also has end walls 116, a topwall 118, and a perforated rear wall 120. The device includes twoplatens 122 and 124 of the same construction of those in FIG. 1. Thelower platen is pivoted to the housing at the juncture between thehorizontal wall 1 13 and the sloping wall 1 14, by a pair of spacedhinges 126. It is connected at its center to a stiff leg 128 whichprojects downward into the housing and is provided with an elongatedcentral slot 130. The slot 130 is received over a pin 132 on the frontface of a cam 134 mounted on a shaft 136 for rotation about the axis ofthat shaft. The shaft is driven through a gear reduction from a motor138. The outer surface of the cam 134 bears on a cam follower 139carried by a lever 140 pivoted to the fixed point within the housing ona pivot shaft 142. The outer end of the lever 140 is connected by acable 144 to a lift lever 146 for the top platen 124. The back side ofthe cam 134 carries a switch-actuating pin 148 which, as shown, normallyengages the switch lever of a normally closed microswitch 150controlling the motor 138, to hold that switch in open position todeenergize the motor.

The motor is momentarily energized at the end of the cooking cycle by aswitch in the timer mechanism. This rotates the cam 134 through aninitial clockwise rotation sufficient to carry the switch actuating pin148 out of engagement with the switch arm of the microswitch 150,- andsuch switch then closes to maintain energization of the motor throughone rotation of the cam. As the cam 134 rotates, it depresses the lever140 to pull on the .cable 144 and lift the top platen 124 from its fullline position shown to its open dotted line position. Simultaneously,the cam pin 132 engaged in the slot 130 of the stiff leg, pivots thatstiff leg about the axis of the hinges 126 and tilts the lower platen122 from its horizontal position shown in f ulllines to its 45 positionshown in dotted lines, at which it will discharge the sandwich from itssurface onto the table on which the device stands. The cam thencontinues to bring the stiff leg 128 back to vertical position as shownin full lines, to allow the lever 140 to rise and lower the upper platen124 to its full line position, and to carry the switch actuating arm 148to a position to open the switch 150 and deenergize themotor.

The platen 124 is pivotally mounted between the arms 152 of a bail leverpivotally mounted by its cross bar 154 in bearings in the housing 110 atthe upper end of the front wall 112. Intermediate its ends, the crossbar 154 carries the lift lever 146. Such lift lever is fixed to the baillever so that when the cable 144 pulls downward on that lever 146, thebail arms 152 rise to lift the upper platen 124. The cable is longenough to allow the top platen to rest on the bottom platen.

As shown in FIG. 9, the top wall 118 of the housing 110 carries acontrol knob 160 for the time delay device, a signal light 162 which ison during the time delay cycle, a start button 164 for initiating thetime delay cycle, and on/off switch 166, and a pressure adjusting knob168. The pressure adjusting knob 168 rotates a helical cam member 170which is in engagement with the end of a leaf spring 172 fixed to theend of the lift lever 146 on the bail bar 154. As the spring isstressed, it counteracts some of the weight of the upper platen 124, andthus varies the pressure which that weight exerts against the sandwichbetween the two platens 122 and 124.

The time delay mechanism controlled by the knob 160 may be of anydesired form, either electrical, thermal, or mechanical. Its time cycleis initiated by actuation of the start button 164, and at the end of thecycle it serves to momentarily energize the motor 138 for a long enoughperiod to allow the switch 150 to close to maintain energization of themotor for one cycle and until the cam 148 again opens the switch 150.

Operation is similar to that of the modification of FIG. 1. The lowerplaten 122 is normally in horizontal position as shown in full lines.The upper platen 124 normally rests on it, and the two are maintained atcooking temperatures under the control of their own thermostats as longas the grill is on. To insert a sandwich, the upper platen 124 is raisedby its handle 153, the sandwich is laid on the lower platen 122, and theupper platen is then lowered against the upper face of the sandwich. Thepressure it exerts against the sandwich is adjustable by rotation of theknob 168 to vary the stress is the counterbalancing spring 172, but someportion of the weight of the upper platen 124 will always be exerted onthe sandwich and will remain substantially constant throughout thecooking cycle, even through the sandwich may shrink during that cooking.The timing cycle is initiated by depressing the start but ton 164, andsuch timing mechanism, at the end of the predetermined cooking time,momentarily energizes the motor and starts it on a one revolution cycle.This raises the upper platen 124 and to tilt the lower platen 122 to a45 position, at which the sandwich slides off the lower platen onto thetable. The cam action then returns the platen 122 to horizontal positionand lowers the upper platen 124 to rest on the lower platen.

I claim:

1. An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing,

a lower platen having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface andmounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking positionand for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at anangle of approximately 45 at which a sandwich thereon will slide forwardoff the flat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface,and at which its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receivingsurface,

an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lowerplaten to rest with continuous pressure on a sandwich on the lowerplaten when such lower platen is in horizontal cooking position, meansto control the pressure exerted by the upper platen on the sandwich,

heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature,

timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between theplatens, and

means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing meansand operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and thelower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position forcausing a sandwich thereon to be slidably discharged by gravitytherefrom, right side up, on to the receiving surface.

2. An automatic grill as in claim 1 wherein said pressure control meanscomprises counterbalancing means partially balancing the weight of theupper platen, and further comprising means to adjust the proportion ofupper platen weight balanced by the counterbalancing means and therebyadjust the pressure exerted by the upper platen on the sandwich, and amanually operable handle exposed for adjustment by the operator andconnected to regulate said adjusting means.

3. An automatic grill as in claim 1 in which the lower platen mountingmeans comprises a supporting arm connected to the platen and pivoted ona horizontal axis offset from the platen, said arm having a raisedposition in which it supports the lower platen in its horizontal cookingposition and a lowered position in which it disposes the platen in itssteeply-tilted discharge position.

4. An automatic grill as in claim 3 in which said housing comprises anupstanding upper portion and a lower portion having an inclined frontface, and said arm disposes the lowered platen substantially againstsaid inclined front face, and in which said arm has an outer portionextending in an arc about said pivot axis and projecting through anopening in said inclined front face.

5. An automatic grill as in claim 3 in which said responsive meanscomprises a latch means operative to latch the supporting arm in itsraised position, the latch means being actuated to ann releasingcondition by said timing means at the end of the timing cycle.

6. An automatic grill as in claim 5 with the addition of a handle on thelower platen for manually lifting the same from lowered position tolatched raised position,

and means responsive to movement of the lower platen to latched raisedposition for activating said timing means.

7. An automatic grill as in claim 1 in which the lower platen mountingmeans supports the platen for free tilting movement about an eccentricaxis whereby the platen will drop to its tilted position if unsupported,and means to latch the platen in raised position, the latch means beingactuated to arm releasing condition by said timing means at the end ofthe timing cycle.

8. An automatic grill as in claim 1 in which the responsive meanscomprises a motor-driven cam mechanism, the timing means being operativeto initiate a caming action which first separates the platens and tiltsthe lower platen to discharge a sandwich thereon and then returns theplatens to closed horizontal position.

- tion to lowered position.

9. An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lowerplaten and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cookingposition and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted dischargeposition, said mounting means comprising a supporting arm connected tothe platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset from the platen, saidarm having a raised position in which it supports the lower platen inits horizontal cooking position and a lowered position in which itdisposes the platen in its steeply-tilted discharge position, an upperplaten and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen torest on a sandwich on the lower platen, heating means to maintain theplatens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking timeof a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion ofa timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platensto separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeplytilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to bedischarged by gravity therefrom, wherein said responsive means comprisesa primary latch operative to latch the arm in raised position when thesame is lifted thereto from its lowered position, and a secondary latchfor retaining the arm in raised position upon the release of the primary latch; and said timing means comprises a heat responsive elementmovable'on heating to a first position in which it releases the primarylatch and movable o cooling to a second position in which it releasesthe sec l ondary latch to cause the arm to move from raised posi- 10. Anautomatic grill as in claim 9 with the addition of a heater for saidheat responsive element and a heating circuit including a switch whichis closed when the i primary latch is engaged with said arm and isopened when the primary latch is released.

11. An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a sup- 3 porting housing, It

a lower platen having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface, andmounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking positionand for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at anangle of approximately at which a sandwich thereon will .slide forwardoff the flat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface,and at which its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receivingsurface.

an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lowerplaten to rest on a sandwich on the lower platen, the platens beingbiased and movable toward each other so as to maintain contact with thesandwich throughout the cooking cycle,

heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature,

timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between theplatens, and

means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing meansand operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and thelower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position forcausing a sandwich thereon to be slidably discharged by gravitytherefrom, right side up, on to the receiving surface,

said lower platen mounting means comprising a supporting arm connectedto the platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset from the platen,said arm having a raised position in whichit supports the lower platenin its horizontal cooking position and a lowered position in which itdisposes the platen in its steeply tilted discharge position.

12. An automatic grill as in claim 11 in which the upper platen ismovable downward a limited distance from its normal sandwich-engagingposition and the lower platen moves a greater distance away from theupper platen whereby the sandwich is carried clear of the upper platenbefore it is tilted to discharge position.

13. An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing,

a lower platen having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface, andmounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking positionand for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at anangle of approximately 45 at which a sandwich thereon will slide forwardoff the flat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface,and at which its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receivingsurface,

an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lowerplaten to rest on a sandwich on the horizontal lower platen, the platensbeing biased and movable toward each other so as to continuouslymaintain contact with the sandwich throughout the cooking thereof,

heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature,

timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between theplatens, and

means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing meansand operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and thelower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position forcausing a sandwich thereon to be discharged by gravity therefrom, rightside up, to the receiving surface, said lower platen mounting meanscomprising a pivotal support on a horizontal axis between its edges,supporting the platen for tilting movement without substantial movementaway from the upper platen, and said responsive means operates to raisethe upper platen and to tilt the lower platen. j 1

14. An automatic grill as in claim 13 in which the responsive meanscomprises a motor-driven cam mechanism, the timing means being operativeto initiate a caming action which first separates the platens and tiltsthe lower platen to discharge a sandwich thereon and then returns theplatens to closed horizontal position. 15. An automatic grill as inclaim 14 in which said cam mechanism includes a first cam operative toraise the upper platen and a second cam operative to tilt the lowerplaten.

1. An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lowerplaten having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface and mountingmeans to support such platen in a horizontal cooking position and formovement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at an angle ofapproximately 45* at which a sandwich thereon will slide forward off theflat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface, and atwhich its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receivingsurface, an upper platen and mounting means to position the same overthe lower platen to rest with continuous pressure on a sandwich on thelower platen when such lower platen is in horizontal cooking position,means to control the pressure exerted by the upper platen on thesandwich, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature,timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between theplatens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by saidtiming means and operative to cause said platens to separate from eachother and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted dischargeposition for causing a sandwich thereon to be slidably discharged bygravity therefrom, right side up, on to the receiving surface.
 2. Anautomatic grill as in claim 1 wherein said pressure control meanscomprises counterbalancing means partially balancing the weight of theupper platen, and further comprising means to adjust the proportion ofupper platen weight balanced by the counterbalancing means and therebyadjust the pressure exerted by the upper platen on the sandwich, and amanually operable handle exposed for adjustment by the operator andconnected to regulate said adjusting means.
 3. An automatic grill as inclaim 1 in which the lower platen mounting means comprises a supportingarm connected to the platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset fromthe platen, said arm having a raised position in which it supports thelower platen in its horizontal cooking position and a lowered positionin which it disposes the platen in its steeply-tilted dischargeposition.
 4. An automatic grill as in claim 3 in which said housingcomprises an upstanding upper portion and a lower portion having aninclined front face, and said arm disposes the lowered platensubstantially against said inclined front face, and in which said armhas an outer portion extending in an arc about said pivot axis andprojecting through an opening in said inclined front face.
 5. Anautomatic grill as in claim 3 in which said responsive means comprises alatch means operative to latch the supporting arm in its raisedposition, the latch means being actuated to arm releasing condition bysaid timing means at the end of the timing cycle.
 6. An automatic grillas in claim 5 with the addition of a handle on the lower platen formanually lifting the same from lowered position to latched raisedposition, and means responsive to movement of the lower platen tolatched raised position for activating said timing means.
 7. Anautomatic grill as in claim 1 in which the lower platen mounting meanssupports the platen for free tilting movement about an eccentric axiswhereby the platen will drop to its tilted position if unsupported, andmeans to latch the platen in raised position, the latch means beingactuated to arm releasing condition by said timing means at the end ofthe timing cycle.
 8. An automatic grill as in claim 1 in which theresponsive means comprises a motor-driven cam mechanism, the timingmeans being operative to initiate a caming action which first separatesthe platens and tilts the lower platen to discharge a sandwich thereonand then returns the platens to closed horizontal position.
 9. Anautomatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lowerplaten and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cookingposition and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted dischargeposition, said mounting means comprising a supporting arm connected tothe platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset from the platen, saidarm having a raised position in which it supports the lower platen inits horizontal cooking position and a lowered position in which itdisposes the platen in its steeply-tilted discharge position, an upperplaten and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen torest on a sandwich on the lower platen, heating means to maintain theplatens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking timeof a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion ofa timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platensto separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeplytilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to bedischarged by gravity therefrom, wherein said responsive means comprisesa primary latch operative to latch the arm in raised position when thesame is lifted thereto from its lowered position, and a secondary latchfor retaining the arm in raised position upon the release of the primarylatch; and said timing means comprises a heat responsive element movableon heating to a first position in which it releases the primary latchand movable on cooling to a second position in which it releases thesecondary latch to cause the arm to move from raised position to loweredposition.
 10. An automatic grill as in claim 9 with the addition of aheater for said heat responsive element and a heating circuit includinga switch which is closed when the primary latch is engaged with said armand is opened when the primary latch is released.
 11. An automaticsandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen havingan upwardly-presented flat cooking surface, and mounting means tosupport such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movementtherefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at an angle ofapproximately 45* at which a sandwich thereon will slide forward off theflat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface, and atwhich its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receivingsurface. an upper platen and mounting means to position the same overthe lower platen to rest on a sandwich on the lower platen, the platensbeing biased and movable toward each other so as to maintain contactwith the sandwich throughout the cooking cycle, heating means tomaintain the platens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing thecooking time of a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive tocompletion of a timing cycle by said timing means and operative to causesaid platens to separate from each other and the lower platen to move toits steeply tilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon tobe slidably discharged by gravity therefrom, right side up, on to Thereceiving surface, said lower platen mounting means comprising asupporting arm connected to the platen and pivoted on a horizontal axisoffset from the platen, said arm having a raised position in which itsupports the lower platen in its horizontal cooking position and alowered position in which it disposes the platen in its steeply tilteddischarge position.
 12. An automatic grill as in claim 11 in which theupper platen is movable downward a limited distance from its normalsandwich-engaging position and the lower platen moves a greater distanceaway from the upper platen whereby the sandwich is carried clear of theupper platen before it is tilted to discharge position.
 13. An automaticsandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen havingan upwardly-presented flat cooking surface, and mounting means tosupport such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movementtherefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at an angle ofapproximately 45* at which a sandwich thereon will slide forward off theflat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface, and atwhich its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receivingsurface, an upper platen and mounting means to position the same overthe lower platen to rest on a sandwich on the horizontal lower platen,the platens being biased and movable toward each other so as tocontinuously maintain contact with the sandwich throughout the cookingthereof, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature,timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between theplatens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by saidtiming means and operative to cause said platens to separate from eachother and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted dischargeposition for causing a sandwich thereon to be discharged by gravitytherefrom, right side up, to the receiving surface, said lower platenmounting means comprising a pivotal support on a horizontal axis betweenits edges, supporting the platen for tilting movement withoutsubstantial movement away from the upper platen, and said responsivemeans operates to raise the upper platen and to tilt the lower platen.14. An automatic grill as in claim 13 in which the responsive meanscomprises a motor-driven cam mechanism, the timing means being operativeto initiate a caming action which first separates the platens and tiltsthe lower platen to discharge a sandwich thereon and then returns theplatens to closed horizontal position.
 15. An automatic grill as inclaim 14 in which said cam mechanism includes a first cam operative toraise the upper platen and a second cam operative to tilt the lowerplaten.